Lighting fixture



Sept. 12, 1933. LUMLEY 1,926,052

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed March 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 12, 1933. w LUMLEY 1,926,052

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed March 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 laientecl Sept. 12, 1933 @WBTE STATES LIGHTHNG FEXTURE Wilfrid Lumley, Conneaut, Ohio, assignor to Eiddle-Gaumer Company, Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 2, 1931. serial No. 519,5

claims.

My invention relates to lighting fixtures, particularly those having electric illuminating means, and one object of my invention is to provide substantially standard parts from which lighting fixtures of various sizes and types may be built up; certain of said parts being of uniform size and construction and available for interconnection with and support by certain other parts whereby lighting fixture structures of various kinds, supporting sections or panes of glass or other material, which may be of various sizes and shapes, may be produced.

A further feature of my invention is the provision of means whereby the several parts making up my improved lighting fixture supports may be adjustable with respect to each other.

A further object of my invention and most important is to provide for the assembly of the entire structure in a simple and efficient manner so that changes in design may be readily effected and various types of lighting fixtures produced from the standard parts comprising the subject of my invention.

A further object of my invention is to provide lamp supporting means, which may be associated with various parts of the frame-work of my improved lighting fixture structure. These and other features of my inventionare more fully described hereinafter; reference being had to the accompanying drawings, more or less diagrammatic in character, in which:

Figure l is a perspective View of one type of lighting fixture within the scope of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form of frame for a lighting fixture, built of standard parts,

within the scope of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a lighting fixture within the scope of my invention, including a frame of the type shown in Fig. 2.

in section, illustrating a modified form. of frame construction within the scope of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of another form of supporting frame within the scope of my inven-- Fig. 4 is a plan view, similar to Fig. 3 but partly Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view on a slightly larger scale illustrating another type of screw Figs. 14, 15, 16 and l? are views in elevation on a reduced scale of various forms or types of lighting fixtures which may be built up from the standard parts or sections forming the subject of my invention.

The principal object of my invention is to provide what may be termed standard structural parts for the production of lighting fixtures, or fixture frames or supports; particularly the types involving the use of sheets or panes of glass or other material. These sheets or panes, which may be of triangular or other shape, are assembled in various numbers and positions, which may include circular effects; polygonal forms for various types of suspension fixtures, shell effects adapted to lie against a wall, and/or substantially flat types of fixtures to lie against or adjacent to the ceiling. In all instances a plurality of sections or panes of glass or other material will be used. In most instances these sections or panes will be flat and of a translucent nature. It will be understood, of course, that curved sections or sheets of glass or other material may be employed without departing from my invention.

In preparing the fixtures forming the subject of my invention, the parts are made up .of .or include sections of perforated strip stock; usually fiat strips of metal of standard dimensions perforated at regular intervals, which are cut into the desired lengths and bent or otherwise developed into the desired form or shape and size. The apertures or perforations, regularly spaced, providing for the reception .of fastening devices, bolts, screws, and/or the like, at the necessary points.

An important feature of my improved lighting fixture structure comprises a metal rin which may serve as the main support .of the fixture.

The ring may be continuous, with its ends welded 'or otherwise secured together, or it may be a discontinuous ring. In other instances such support may be in the form of a segment of a circle, especially when wall fixtures are being produced.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, et seq., the ring support is indicated at 1, and is shown as welded together at the point as. To this ring is fixed a secondary support or brace comprising a pair of yokeshaped members 2, with connecting members 3. The members 2 and 3 are prepared from sections of the perforated strip stock; the perforations being indicated at a, and in the case of the yoke-shaped members 2, the free ends of the ring 1 are passed through apertures or perforations adjacent to the ends of the legs of the same before the meeting ends of the ring are welded together. The legs of the yoke-shaped members may be welded to the ring at the points at. The members 3 may be secured to the yoke' shaped members 2 by means of bolts or screws 4 passing through registering apertures in the strip material of which they are composed. The

' several yoke-shaped members 2 and the connecting members 3 are firmly held during assembly so as to insure that they occupy a plane parallel with the plane of the ringsection 1 to which they are attached.

The ring sections 1 may be of various sizes, depending upon the size of the lighting fixture structure desired, but in all instances the distance between the bridging portions 2 of the yokeshaped members which join or connect the legs thereof in making up such yoke-shaped members is the same; such arrangement being effected by increasing the size of the yoke-shaped members for lighting fixture structures having successively larger supporting rings, as clearly indicated in Figs. 7, 6, 3, respectively.

It will be understood that, generally speaking, the various sizes of lighting fixture structures may depend in most instances upon certain multiples of the spaces between the apertures or perforations of the strip stock, from which the secondary and other portions of the lighting fixture structure are made. It is possible, of course, to make other openings in the strip stock,

but as a practical proposition an important feature of my invention resides in the feasibility of utilizing strip stock havingperforations,

which are of the same size and uniformly spaced.

In a fixture structure such as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, a central rod 5, preferably tubular, may be employed as the suspension element, and this rod may be clamped to the members 3, by means of the bolts 3*, or said connecting members 3 may be secured to the rod 5, by a bolt 3 passing through the respective elements. The members 3, which together constitute the connector between the yoke-shaped members 2 and the rod 5, may comprise a pair of perforated sections of the strip material with legs or extensions which flank the legs of the yoke-shaped members 2 and are secured thereto by the screws or bolts 4 which pass through registering openings of the respective perforated parts. One or more fastening elements may-be'employed to insure rigidity, and

these members 3 are arranged in the same plane as the yoke-shaped members 2. If desired, they may be shaped to embrace the rod 5, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The parts thus described constitute one form of my improved fixture. In some instances it may be desirable to omit the suspension rod 5,

' and in such cases I may provide a support in the form of a member 6, substantially yokematerial may rest.

shaped in contour, made of a section of the perforated strip stock; the upper ends of the legs of this member being connected to the bridging parts 2 of the yoke-shaped members 2, by means of bolts or screws 4* As may be understood, these members 6 may be of any suitable length desired, for use in the development of any particular fixture structure. They are, however, of the same spread of leg in all instances so as to accommodate themselves to the fixed distance between the bridging portions 2 of the yokeshaped members 2. To the lower end of this yoke member 6, a finial '7 of the type shown in Fig.1, may be secured, and the rod 5 may also be secured to such finial in those types of the fixture which omit the yoke-shaped member 6. This final may be of any suitable type or shape; preferably of cup form with an ornamental flange 7 behind which the lower ends, which may be pointed, of the panes or sections of glass or other In Figs. 11 and 12 I have shown another form of support, indicated at 8 and more particularly described hereinafter, for the lower ends of the panes or sections of glass or other material, and to which the rod 5, or the yoke-shaped member 6, may be secured. Below such member or support 8 a finial of suitable type may be'eniployed, that illustrated at '7 in Fig. 1, for instance, or as partly indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 11.

The sections or panes of glass or other material, which may be arranged in overlapping position, or otherwise, are indicated at 9, and they may be secured, adjacent to their upper ends, to the supporting ring 1, by means of bolts 10 passing through such panes or sections, and through small yoke-shaped clips which clasp the ring 1, in the manner clearly indicated in Figs. 9 and 10. Suitable nuts will be applied to these bolts to hold the panes or sections of glass or other material in properly spaced position with respect to each other and said ring 1; the said screw bolts 10 being threaded throughout their length. The

head of the screw bolt showing outside thepane 1 fracturing the pane or section of glass or other 7 material. a type inserted from the outside of the pane or The screw bolt shown in Fig. 9 is of sections; the latter being held between the head of the bolt and the washer 11, which is retained in gripping position by a nut 11 The free end of the screw bolt passes through a clip 12, encircling the ring 1, and such clip is held in clamping position on said ring by suitable nuts 12 In the form of fastening for the sections or panes 9 illustrated in Fig. 10, the screw bolt passes from the inside of the fixture through the pane or section V 9 to the outside of the same, and the free end thereof receives a nut 10 which may be round, and preferably serves to retain an ornament, such as the rosette 10 in place. The head of this bolt directly engages a clip, such as that indicated at I 120, which encircles the ring 1, and said clip is retained in place by a nut 12 This form of clip is provided with side flanges so as to afford seats for the head of such screw and such nut; the latter serving, when the screw is tightly turned, to hold the clip in rigid clamping relation to the ring 1. The free end of this bolt passes through the pane or section 9, and the latter held between the washer 11, retained by the nut 11 and the round nut 1Q at the outer side of the pane or section which also holds the rosette 10 in place.

The supporting member 8, shown in Figs. 11 and 12, for the lower ends of the panes or tions of glass or other ma erial in types of fixtures such as those shown in Figs. 1, 3 and l, may comprise a substantally cup-shaped frame, circular or substantially circular in form, with a web 14, having a central aperture 15, and an ornamental flange which includes series of projections 16 and 17; the latter being substantially vertical and inwardly disposed with respect to the projections 16. Between the web 14 and the flange, 21. series of openings 18 may be provided, and the ends of the panes or sections of glass or other material may rest upon the flange, or may pass into these openings, as indicated by the dotted lines. The web is provided with a flattened portion 19, apertured at 19 for the reception of retaining screws, and the rod 5, when provided with a foot 5 be secured to this portion of the web by means of screws 20. In a similar manner, the lower portion. of the yoke-shaped supporting member 6, when employed as part of a fixture, may be attached to this support by said screws 20, as indicated in Fig. 11. In lieu of providing the rod 5 with a foot, the lower end of the same may be threaded and adapted to engage threads formed in said central aperture 15. The support 8 may also be apertured at 21 for the reception of supporting means for electric lamp sockets. In the other forms of my improved fixture, electric lamp sockets may be attached to the various parts of the brackets or supports making up the frame upon which the panes or sections of glass or other material are hung.

The frame sructure illustrated in Fig. 5, is of substantially the same type as that illustrated in Fig. 1. It is especially applicable for use in types of fixtures such as those shown in Figs. 14 and 17, in which fiat sections or panes 9 of glass or other material are employed on the under side of the lighting fixture. In this arrangement the ross frame 39, which may comprise continuous strips of the perforated stock, is shown as supporting a plurality of rings 1, from which suitable pane-supporting bolts 10, held to the same by clamping clips in the manner illustrated in Figs. 9 and it, may extend. Some of these bolts may be of elbow shape so as to permit adjustment to a position afiording proper support for the pane or section 9 disposed at the bottom of the fixtures, as illustrated in Figs. 14 and 17. In this form of the frame structure, it may be desirable to provide the rings 1 with additional supports, and these may be of the type illustrated at 31 comprising strips of the perforated stock through which said rings may pass and to which they may be welded, with an end 31 secured to a supplemental ring 32, which may also be made an Socof the perforated stock, and which is concentrically disposed with respect to the rod 5 and attached to the members comprising the cross bracket 30. Additional supports 31, as may be necessary to provide a stiif or rigid frame, may be employed.

Figs. 6 and '7 illustrate frames of the type shown in Figs. 2 and 3, of small dimensions, with which yoke-shaped supporting members 6 of the same size may be employed; the yoke-shaped members 2 forming part of the cross-brace being of correspondingly reduced size. The frame shown in Fig. 6 is provided with the yoke-shaped mem ber 6. The frame shown in Fig. '7, which is of a dimension permitting use of a yoke-shaped member 6 of the size shown in Fig. 6, is shown con nected to the rod 5 by means of a bolt 3* passing through the members 3 and saidrod.

Other form of frames, made up of the standparts, are within'the scope of my invention. When a fiat fixture of the sunburst type, adapted for ceiling use is being developed, the yokeshaped supporting member 6 will be relatively short, or a short supporting rod 5 may be employed. With such form of lighting fixture, a

horizontally disposed frame of the type illustrated in Fig. 5 will preferably be used.

If a segmental fixture structure is being developed, of a type to be placed against the wall, such as illustrated in sectional plan in Fig. 8, and in elevation in Fig. 15, the segmental supporting element 1 may carry a yoke-shaped element 22, of substantially the same type as those shown at 2, Figs. 1, 2, et seq.,- and the panes or sections 9, of glass or other material, may be arranged and supported in substantially the same manner as illustrated in the other views; using either form of the connecting or attaching bolts shown in Figs. 9 and 10. In this form of frame construction, a rear support of the perforated stock, which may be secured to the wall, is provided; such support comprising a cross-piece 23 to which the ends of the segmental supporting member may be secured, as by welding or by means of suitable nuts, as shown, with angularly disposed depending members 23, to which may be connected a finial such as indicated at '70, in Fig. 15.

Figs. 14., 15, 16 and 17 illustrate, on a reduced scale, some forms of lighting fixtures which may be developed by the use of my improved frame construction. It will be understood, of course, that in developing a fixture of the type shown in Fig. 14, a frame of substantially the same type as that shown in Figs. 1 and3, may be employed, but disposed in the reverse position. In like manner, a fixture such as shown in Fig. 16, which is of the wall type, may have supports at top and bottom such as those illustrated in Fig. 8, with a connecting member at the rear whereby such fixture will be tied together and may be supported on the wall. The type of fixture shown in Fig. 17, may include ring frames of the type shown in Figs. 3, 4 or 5; a frame of the latter form being preferably at the bottom of the fixture and arranged to support the under pane or section 9 These frames may be connected together by the rod 5, or otherwise, as may be desired, or such rod 5 may only be connected to the upper frame and serve as the means whereby the fixture may be suspended in position.

The use of perforated strip stock, such as I have proposed, and as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in connection with the rings, permits the building up of standard types and forms of lighting fixture frames from uniform parts which may be made by bending such stock into the desired form in various sizes and shapes. From these stock parts lighting fixture structures of various types and kinds, some of which are illustrated, may be furnished at a moments notice, by simply attaching the panes or sections of glass or other material, flat or curved, colored or translucent,i

as the case may be, to such built-up supports.

I claim; 7

1. A lighting fixture structure comprising an inner ring, a sectional'bracket connected across said ring through which it is passed and to which it may be secured, an enclosure surrounding said ring made up of aseries of independent panes or sections, and adjustable means carried by said ring for supporting said sections.

2. A lighting fixture structure comprising an inner ring, a sectional bracket connected across said ring; said bracket being made up of members of perforated stock having apertures through which said ring is passed and to which it may be secured as by welding, an enclosure surrounding said ring made up of a series of independent panes or sections, and adjustable means carried by said ring for supporting said sections.

3. A lighting fixture structure comprising a ring, a sectional bracket connected across said ring; said bracket being made up of end members having apertures through which said ring is passed and to which it may be secured and a centrally disposed connector for said end members, an enclosure surrounding said ring made up of a series of independent sections or panes, and means carried by said ring for adjustably supporting said sections.

4. A lighting fixture structure comprising a ring, a sectional bracket connected across said ring; said bracket being made up of end members of perforated stock having apertures through which said ring is passed and to which it may be -welded and a centrally disposed connector also of perforated stock for said end members, an enclosure surrounding said ring made up of a series of independent sections or panes, and means carried by said ring for adjustably supporting said sections.

5. A lighting fixture structure comprising a ring, a bracket frame extending across said ring and holding the same in spaced relation, .a support suspended from said cross bracket, a rod supporting said bracket and pendent member, a series of independent sections or panes enclosing said ring and frame and engaging said suspended support, and'means carried by the ring for supporting the upper ends of said sections.

6. A lighting fixture structure comprising a ring, a bracket frame extending across said ring and holding the same in spaced relation, a support suspended from said cross bracket, a series of independent panes or sections enclosing said ring and frame and engaging said suspended support, and means removably attached to the ring for supporting the upper ends-0f said sections.

7. A lighting fixture structure comprising a ring, a bracket frame made up of perforated stock extending across said ring and holding the same in spaced relation, a support suspended from said cross bracket, a series of independent sections or panes enclosing said ring and frame, and means carried by the ring and the suspended support member on whichsaid enclosing sections may be mounted.

8. A lighting fixture structure comprising a ring, a bracket frame made up of perforated stock extending across said ring and holding the same in spaced relation, a support suspended from said cross bracket, a rod supporting said bracket and pendent member, a series of independent panes or sections enclosing said ring and frame, and means carried by the ring and the pendent member on which said enclosing sections may be mounted.

9. A lighting fixture structure comprising a ring or annulus, a cross-brace of perforated stock or strip material rigidly connected to the same; said cross brace including yoke-shaped members in spaced relation, a depending member of yokeshape connected to the yoke-shaped members of said cross-brace, a series of sections or panes enclosing said ring and yoke-shaped member, and a support carried by said yoke-shaped member for the lower ends of said panes or sections.

10. A lighting fixture structure comprising a ring or annulus, a cross-brace of perforated strip material rigidly connected to the same, a supporting rod centrally disposed and connected to said cross-brace, a series of panes or sections of glass or other material supported by said fixture, and a support for the lower end of said panes or sections carried by the lower end of said centrally disposed rod.

11. A lighting fixture structure comprising a ring or annulus, a cross-brace of perforated strip material rigidly connected to the same; said cross-brace including yoke-shaped members in spaced relation permanently attached to said ring and a centrally disposed connector member, a supporting rod centrally disposed and'secured to said connector member, a series of panes or sections of glass or other material associated with said fixture, a support for the lower end of said panes or sections carried by the lower end of said centrally disposed rod, and a series of bolts carried by the ring to which the upper portions of said panes or sections are secured.

12. In a lighting fixture structure, the combination of a ring, a cross-brace rigidly connected to the same; a depending member of yoke-shape connected to said cross-brace, a series of panes or sections of glass enclosing said ring and depending yoke-shaped member, a frame carried by the latter receiving the lower ends of said panes or sections, and a series of bolts in clamping engagement with said ring and supporting the upper portions of said panes or sections.

13. In a structure such as set forth in claim 12, providing the frame supporting the lower ends of the panes or sections with apertures through which said ends may pass.

14. In a structure such as set forth in claim 12, providing the frame supporting the lower ends of the panes or sections with apertures for the reception of electric light socket supports.

15. A lighting fixture comprising a supporting member, an extensible bracket connected to said member, an enclosure surrounding said member comprising a plurality of elements, and means detachably connected to said member for supporting the elements of said enclosure.

WILFRID LUMLEY. 

